Tips for the Career Fair
The Career Fair is a great opportunity to meet and impress potential employers for internships and full-time jobs. It is important that you make a good first impression and make yourself stand out for good reasons. Listed below are a few tips to help you be successful at the Career Fair: # Research companies you want to talk to. #* If you come to a career fair with information on a company, you will add to your first impression. Being able to ask questions of the company had the ability to turn your 2-minute conversation into an interview. # Attend information sessions #* The MME department does a great job with the career fair and they bring in a lot of companies to share information about themselves. This is a great way to get your foot in the door. If you go to the information session and then meet with them at the career fair, that will show that you are more interested and can give you a big advantage. Most of the time they supply free food, so why not go? I went to one and won an SSD and got free food. # Dress to impress. #* First impressions are the ones that will last. When attending any career fair, business casual is the minimum that should be worn. See Dress Standards. # One-page resume #* Employers attending the career fair will meet with over 100 different people. This means that the amount of time that you have to talk to an employer is limited. If your resume is any longer than one page, the employer will want or have time to go through it all. # Be open-minded #* When you look through the list of companies coming to the career fair, don't worry about their field so much. Many construction companies look for Mechanical Engineers as well. # Come with more resumes than you think you will need #* You have researched companies you want to talk to, but what if there are more that catch your eye at the fair? What if there are multiple recruiters at each booth? Always bring at least 20 copies of your current resumé. # Use your time wisely #* The career fair is not that long and often times you have classes to attend. When you first get to the fair, go over the map and figure out where your top companies are located. #* If you get to an employer’s booth and there is a long line to talk to them, gage whether it’s worth your time to wait or move on to another employer and come back later. # Introduce yourself #* When you meet a recruiter, greet them with a firm handshake and state your name. Follow this up by stating your grade and major. Be ready to talk about prior experiences and what you are looking for (internship or full-time position). # Be courteous #* All of the organizations at the fair are there because of their interest in hiring WSU students. Some representatives are WSU alumni. Demonstrate sensitivity to other students waiting to speak with employers by keeping your questions brief and offering to continue your conversation at a later time. # Always accept interviews #* If the employer is doing on campus interviews and offers you one, always accept it. Even if the job isn’t your top choice, it will be good practice. # Follow up #* Often times recruiters will hand out contact their information when you talk to them. If you do receive contact information, follow up and thank them for talking to you. Include your contact information and copy of your resumé so that they remember who you are. #* If the recruiter points you to job application, fill it out and then follow up with them stating that you have applied for the job in a timely manner. This will show your desire to work for the company and speaks well of your character. Category:Academic Tips